EVER since the days of Bobby Robson at Newcastle United, the manager's chair at the club's Benton base has faced eastwards with the sight of the training fields of Darsley Park on the right-hand side.

EVER since the days of Bobby Robson at Newcastle United, the manager's chair at the club's Benton base has faced eastwards with the sight of the training fields of Darsley Park on the right-hand side.

However, the same consistency cannot be said for its occupant.

Newcastle’s lack of stability since Robson’s exit has coincided with the ever-revolving door at St James’ Park, with Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce, Kevin Keegan, Alan Shearer and Chris Hughton all unable to see out a Premier League season in its entirety.

Alan Pardew is the exception to the rule since the days of Robson and, for the first time since the former England boss and Italia 90 hero boomed his instructions out at the North Tyneside base, there is even a danger of stability.

Pardew is very much his own man with his own style and own ideas but, while he mulls over his plans for the Tyne-Wear derby, he believes he will have a trusted figure pondering with him.

Pardew has deep respect for tradition.

To many being reminded of the achievements of Robson, who guided Newcastle to three top-five finishes in five years and two semi-finals of major tournaments in the FA and UEFA Cups, would be daunting. Well not for Alan Pardew.

A huge portrait of Sir Bob gazes opposite his desk in the same office the Geordie Godfather used to dish out an old-fashioned clip round the ear to the likes of Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy while still getting top-notch performances from them at Champions League level.

It appears Pardew uses history as an inspiration, or a reminder of the heights this club can scale when the good times are in full swing.

In his first full season in charge he matched one top-five finish and picked up gongs for LMA and Premier League manager of the year.

His reward was an eight-year contract, something Bobby may well have doffed his cap too.

Pardew told the Chronicle: “Bobby does breeze past me now and again.

“The training ground has not changed, he is probably still here in some form!

“What lives on with Bobby is his personality and his warmth as a person.

“I am not the same as him.

“I do not have the type of warmth he had.”

In fact, while Pardew has respect for Robson’s legacy, he is far from comparing himself.

Speaking candidly he said: “I have a much harder surface.

“In the past I have been called arrogant on the surface.

“I have never really thought I was, but I do tread a fine line between confidence in my ability and arrogance.

“I do not have a problem with that.

“When I was younger I used to think ‘What, I am not arrogant, I am OK!’

“I understand you can assume that.

“Bobby was never that. Bobby was always a warm kind of guy, although some people at Ipswich might disagree with that, he kind of had that tag going on when he was there.

“As you grow older you grow wiser.”

Yet Pardew still feels some of Robson’s methodology should be maintained, or time can have sneaky way of catching up with you.

During his time as boss Pardew has spoken to everybody with respect and has been fair when giving people an opportunity, whether it be staff, players or even media.

It is that type of quality which goes hand in hand with stability and consistency.

Pardew compares Robson’s approach to another managerial great in Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

At 70 he is still No 1 at Old Trafford.

Don’t forget it was actually Sir Bob who persuaded Fergie not to retire in 2002!

A decade on with more titles and trophies to his name, he can still maintain the respect of the dressing room, keep Wayne Rooney in check, manage to know when it is right to sell a David Beckham or Ronaldo and have conversation with Tom Cleverley about iPod downloads.

Pardew added: “During his time as manager here he still had the ability to translate with the dressing room.

“Some managers lose that ability. They get stuck in their ways and don’t move on.

“One thing Bobby had, which Sir Alex Ferguson has, is he moved with the dressing room.

“The dressing room gets younger and becomes different.

“Can you imagine Alex Ferguson allowing headphones to come out in the dressing room 15 years ago?

“He would not have accepted it. He knows as times move on, these personal preferences come to light.”

Pardew knows it only too well.

Last year, Pardew revealed plans to have a prayer room at the training ground and knows that, to get the best out of the best, seeing players covered in gadgets must be understood and not ignored.

Having dealt with stars like Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa, he said: “Some of those headphones are not playing music.

“They are playing different things.

“Some of our players are listening to the Koran.

“I had a player listening to tapes of a psychologist and getting himself into a good place before the game.

“Times move on and managers have to move with it.

“That is why Bobby will always be regarded as a legend.

“This contract will take me to 60 if I am lucky enough to get there. I should be wiser then.”

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